Chocolate is, in my opinion, the best treat you could ever use to say to a friend or significant other, “I love you.” For me, chocolate is filled with nothing but memories of love, since it often brings together the people I care about the most. For example, my father and I share chocolate truffles every night I come home to Seattle, my high school friends and I split chocolate cake for girl’s night the last time they flew in from Chicago, and my boyfriend and I share chocolates together whenever there is a holiday. And what’s a better time to write about chocolate than when Valentine’s Day is just around the corner? Let’s take a look at chocolate’s ever-changing role in the world over time.

Source: Royalty Free Image

Chocolate and Pop Culture

What’s a better way to spend this Valentine’s Day than to Netflix and chill? While “Netflix and Chill,” sessions have skyrocketed in popularity (especially among college students), so too has the desire to enjoy some yummy snacks while watching our favorite flicks, (especially with services like GrubHub, GoPuff, and UberEats). Chocolate has made its way into four out of the ten recipes on Spoon University’s list of the Best Snacks to Upgrade Your Netflix and Chill, which just proves how beloved and relevant that chocolate remains in American culinary (and pop) culture. Don’t forget to enjoy Spoon University’s Aphrodisiac Brownies recipe at the end of the article!

Photo Credit: Ezra Bailey/Getty Images

Source: Solloway, Ellie. “11 Snacks to Make Next Time You Netflix and Chill.” Spoon University. Spoon Media, Inc. 8 October 2015. Web. 12 February 2016.

Chocolate and History

Chocolate is known as “The Food of the Gods”, and actually started out as a bitter beverage before it became the sweet dessert it is today. Anthropologists have found evidence that chocolate was produced by pre-Olmec cultures living in present-day Mexico as early as 1900 B.C. The ancient Mesoamericans who first cultivated cacao plants found in the tropical rainforests of Central America fermented, roasted and ground the cacao beans into a paste that they mixed with water, vanilla, honey, chili peppers and other spices to brew a frothy chocolate drink (Klein).

Olmec, Mayan and Aztec civilizations found chocolate to be an invigorating drink, mood enhancer and aphrodisiac, which led them to believe that it possessed mystical and spiritual qualities. The Mayans worshipped a god of cacao and reserved chocolate for rulers, warriors, priests and nobles at sacred ceremonies (Klein). In the 14th century, when the Aztecs rose to power in Central America, they could not grow cocoa beans, so they traded them with the Mayans as a form of currency (Klein). In the 1500s, Spanish conquistadors such as Hernán Cortés who sought gold and silver in Mexico returned instead with chocolate. Although the Spanish sweetened the bitter drink with cane sugar and cinnamon, one thing remained unchanged: chocolate was still a delectable symbol of luxury, wealth and power. Chocolate was sipped by royal lips, and only Spanish elites could afford the expensive import (Klein).

While Spain managed to keep chocolate under wraps for almost a century, when King Phillip III’s daughter wed French King Louis XIII in 1615, she brought her love of chocolate with her to France. The popularity of chocolate quickly spread to other European courts, and aristocrats consumed it as a magic elixir with salubrious benefits (Klein). Because of chocolate’s growing hype, European powers established plantations around the world to grow cocoa and sugar, importing African slaves to maintain the production of chocolate (see: “Chocolate and Politics” below) (Klein).

Source: Royalty Free Image

Chocolate remained a delicacy reserved for the aristocracy until Dutch Chemist invented the cocoa press in 1828, paving the way for modern chocolate-making. The cocoa press could squeeze the fatty cocoa butter from roasted cacao beans, leaving behind a dry cake that could be pulverized into a fine powder that could be mixed with liquids and other ingredients, poured into molds and solidified into edible, easily digestible chocolate. This machine made chocolate production easier and thus more affordable to the public, as well as transformed chocolate into a baking ingredient.

Source: Royalty Free Image

In 1847, British chocolate company J.S. Fry & Sons created the first solid edible chocolate bar from cocoa butter, cocoa powder and sugar. Rodolphe Lindt’s 1879 invention of the conching machine, which produced chocolate with a velvety texture and superior taste, and other advances allowed for the mass production of smooth, creamy milk chocolate on factory assembly lines (Klein). Later on, Cadbury, Mars and Hershey companies made their way into the chocolate craze of the 1800s to 1900s (Klein). Today, the average American consumes 12 lbs. of chocolate each year, and more than $75 billion worldwide is spent on chocolate annually (Klein).

Source: Klein, Christopher. “The History of Chocolate.” Hungry History. A&E Television Networks, LLC. 13 February 2014, Web. 12 February 2016.

Chocolate and Politics

While chocolate is often given to others as an expression of love, and is, of course, a sexual aphrodisiac, there is nothing worse than the slavery that comes with human trafficking in the chocolate industry, or human trafficking associated with sex slavery.

The heartbreaking truth is, according to The Huffington Post, an investigative report by the BBC shows that hundreds of thousands of children are being purchased from their parents or outright stolen and then shipped to Ivory Coast, where they are enslaved on cocoa farms. Destitute parents in these poverty-stricken lands sell their children to traffickers believing that they will find honest work in Ivory Coast and send some of their earnings home. The terrible reality is that these children, 11-to-16-years-old but sometimes younger, are forced to do hard manual labor 80 to 100 hours a week. They are paid nothing, receive no education, are under fed, and are often viciously beaten if they try to escape. Most will never see their families again.

Additionally, here are some devastating facts about sex trafficking in the United States according to The Polaris Project:

Sex trafficking is a form of modern slavery that exists throughout the United States and globally. Sex traffickers use violence, threats, lies, debt bondage, and other forms of coercion to compel adults and children to engage in commercial sex acts against their will. Under U.S. federal law, any minor under the age of 18 years induced into commercial sex is a victim of sex trafficking—regardless of whether or not the trafficker used force, fraud, or coercion. The situations that sex trafficking victims face vary dramatically. Many victims become romantically involved with someone who then forces or manipulates them into prostitution. Others are lured in with false promises of a job, such as modeling or dancing. Some are forced to sell sex by their parents or other family members. They may be involved in a trafficking situation for a few days or weeks, or may remain in the same trafficking situation for years.

Victims of sex trafficking can be U.S. citizens, foreign nationals, women, men, children, and LGBTQ individuals. Vulnerable populations are frequently targeted by traffickers, including runaway and homeless youth, as well as victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, war, or social discrimination. Sex trafficking occurs in a range of venues including fake massage businesses, via online ads or escort services, in residential brothels, on the street or at truck stops, or at hotels and motels.

Key Statistics

• Since 2007, the National Human Trafficking Resource Center hotline, operated by Polaris, has received reports of 14,588 sex trafficking cases inside the United States.

• In 2014, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children estimated that 1 in 6 endangered runaways reported to them were likely sex trafficking victims.

• Globally, the International Labor Organization estimates that there are 4.5 million people trapped in forced sexual exploitation globally.

• In a 2014 report, the Urban Institute estimated that the underground sex economy ranged from $39.9 million in Denver, Colorado, to $290 million in Atlanta, Georgia.

The Huffington Post suggests a few ways that you can take part in the fight against human trafficking. These are:

*Fill out Hershey’s corporate responsibility online survey. Urge them to establish an ethical and slavery-free supply chain. Tell them you won’t have your money contributing to human trafficking.

*For as little as $6, get a DVD copy of the film The Dark Side of Chocolate, along with information about Fair Trade, from the dedicated people at Green America. Watch it, show it to your friends, and spread the word.

* EDUCATE YOURSELF AND OTHERS. Tweet about this article, pin it, and post it to your Facebook page. Spread the word until this dirty little secret is completely out in the open.

Thankfully, there are multiple organizations across the world that are working together to end human trafficking. While governments ultimately have a large responsibility to enforce laws against human trafficking, we, as individuals can also take part in volunteering for or donating to organizations that end human trafficking. I am not going to pick out particular ones to endorse, but I will simply leave a list of organizations here that fight sex trafficking, and let you, as my readers, decide which one is the most meaningful to you and which one you would like to donate to:

2. In 30-second bursts in the microwave, melt the coconut oil with the bittersweet chocolate, stirring often. It is important to let the mixture cool before using it in the batter, to keep your brownies from getting dry and heavy.

3. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, beat the eggs and salt together with a fork until light and foamy.

4. Add the vanilla and both sugars gradually to the egg mixture, beating until well-blended.

5. In a separate bowl, whisk the cayenne and cinnamon into the flour.

6. Using a wide rubber spatula, fold the cooled melted chocolate mixture into the egg mixture.

7. Fold in the dry ingredients.

8. Add dark chocolate baking chips, being careful not to over-mix the batter.

9. Pour the batter into the greased baking pan, and bake until the surface is firm, about 25 minutes.

Pancakes are one of those foods that you can never go wrong with at breakfast—they continually succeed to make people feel comforted and satisfied first thing in the morning. For me, pancakes bring back memories of the sleepovers I would have with my best girlfriends from elementary school to junior high, because we would stay up all night giggling and then wake up in the morning to my mother’s lovely display of pancakes and delicious toppings, such as blueberries, strawberries, bananas, whipped cream, and chocolate chips (my favorite). Let’s learn a little bit about pancakes’ modern popularity, their history (from National Geographic’s Rebecca Rudd), and their ties to poverty alleviation.

Photo Credit: The Gracious Pantry

Pancakes and Pop Culture

After going out out bar hopping and clubbing, who doesn’t love grabbing a late-night snack with friends? Pancakes are, according to multiple sources, one of America’s favorite (and best) drunk foods! That’s right, it’s not only because of their fluffy, sugary deliciousness, but because their high-glycemic index content helps to replenish blood sugar levels and rid the body of any remaining alcohol. Other best drunk foods according to Small Kitchen College include popcorn, soda, and eggs, while other favorites include French Fries, pizza, and quesadillas.

Photo Credit: Popsugar

Check out The Thrillist’s top pick for The Nation’s Best Pancakes in Los Angeles, CA. DuPar’s has an award-winning recipe due to their pancake’s fluffiness, density, and unbelievable size.

Pancakes and History

Pancakes may have made their first appearance in the Stone Age when our ancestors used grinding tools to make flour out of cattails and ferns—which, researchers guess, was likely mixed with water and baked on a hot, possibly greased, rock. The result may have been more akin to hardtack than the modern crepe, hotcake, or flapjack, but the idea was the same: a flat cake, made from batter and fried.

Pancake Day: The Most Wonderful Day of the Year

By the time Otzi the Iceman set off on his final hike 5,300 years ago, pancakes—or at least something pancake-like—seem to have been a common item of diet. Otzi, whose remains were discovered in a rocky gully in the Italian Alps in 1991, provided us with a wealth of information about what a denizen of the Neolithic ate. His last meals—along with red deer and ibex—featured ground einkorn wheat. The bits of charcoal he consumed along with it suggest that it was in the form of a pancake, cooked over an open fire.

Whatever the age of the primal pancake, it’s clearly an ancient form of food, as evidenced by its ubiquity in cultural traditions across the globe. The ancient Greeks and Romans ate pancakes, sweetened with honey; the Elizabethans ate them flavored with spices, rosewater, sherry, and apples. They were traditionally eaten in quantity on Shrove Tuesday or Pancake Day, a day of feasting and partying before the beginning of Lent. Pancakes were a good way to use up stores of about-to-be-forbidden perishables like eggs, milk, and butter, and a yummy last hurrah before the upcoming grim period of church-mandated fast.

In the American colonies, pancakes—known as hoe cakes, johnnycakes, or flapjacks—were made with buckwheat or cornmeal. Amelia Simmons’s American Cookery—thought to be the first all-American cookbook, published in 1796—has two recipes for pancakes, one for “Johny Cake, or Hoe Cake,” which calls for milk, “Indian meal,” and molasses, the other for “Indian Slapjack,” which drops the molasses, but adds four eggs.

Thomas Jefferson, who was fond of pancakes, sent a recipe home to Monticello from the President’s House in Washington, D.C., picked up from Etienne Lemaire, his French maître d’hotel (hired for his honesty and skill in making desserts). Lemaire’s “panne-quaiques” were what we would call crepes—made by pouring dollops of thin batter into a hot pan. Modern pancakes—in Jefferson’s day known as griddlecakes—generally contain a leavening agent and are heftier and puffier.

Photo Credit: Sherman Indian Museum

Flat as a Pancake? Not Likely

The defining characteristic of the entire vast family of pancakes, however—from crepe to griddlecake, blini, bannock, and beyond—is flatness. “Flat as a pancake,” according to the Oxford English Dictionary, has been a catchphrase since at least 1611. Usually it’s applied disparagingly to flat-chested women or to featureless level terrain, such as that of Poland, the glacial plains of Canada, and the state of Kansas.

In 2003, this recurrent comparison led a trio of geographers with senses of humor—after a dullish trip across the American Midwest—to attempt to determine the relative flatnesses of pancakes and Kansas. They constructed a topographic profile of a representative pancake—bought from the local International House of Pancakes—using digital imaging processing and a confocal laser microscope, and a similar profile of Kansas, using data from the United States Geological Survey. The tongue-in-cheek results, published in theAnnals of Improbable Research, showed that though pancakes are flat, Kansas is even flatter. Where, mathematically, a value of 1.000 indicates perfect tabletop flatness, Kansas scored a practically horizontal 0.9997. The pancake, in contrast, scored a relatively lumpy 0.957.

In March of this year, Kansan geographers Jerome Dobson and Joshua Campbell—publishing in the wholly reputable Geographical Review – also took on pancakes, pointing out defensively that, while Kansas may be flatter than a pancake, it’s not alone. In fact, there are several states that are even flatter. Their calculations showed that, of the continental states, flattest of the flat is Florida, followed by Illinois, North Dakota, Louisiana, Minnesota, and Delaware. (Least pancake-like: Wyoming, West Virginia, New Hampshire, and Vermont.)

As all researchers hasten to point out, though, the pancake comparison simply isn’t fair. Blow a pancake up to the size of—say, Kansas—and you’ll end up with a fried expanse of ferociously rugged terrain, pock-marked with craters and canyons, studded with Everest-sized air bubbles. Compared to a Kansas-sized pancake—well, practically everything is flat.

Pancakes and Politics

Did you know that student groups such as Pancakes for Poverty are selling pancakes in order to fight for improved standards of living for underprivileged people? The Supplemental Poverty measure defines poverty as the lack of economic resources for consumption of basic needs such as food, housing, clothing, and utilities (FCSU) (Jacob). The current poverty rate, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, is roughly 47 million people (“Income”).

Photo Credit: Pancakes for Poverty

While there are several different methods to go about alleviating poverty, each with their own strengths and weaknesses, I do not want this blog to be a place where I condemn people for their anti-poverty efforts (and other political beliefs) based on different ideas of what people think is right or wrong. I do, however, encourage open discussion about poverty and other political issues on this blog.

I will instead address an issue that I think is an extremely negative symptom of poverty, which is classism in the United States. Classism is defined as the oppression of subordinate group members by privileged, dominant group members through claims that the dominant group members are smarter, more articulate, or superior in any way (Brantley, Frost, Pfeiffer, and Robinson). Classism has severe emotional and economic effects on individuals. There are a number of actions that people can take if they want to take part in if they wish to fight classism, according to the Workforce Diversity Network.

What Dominant Groups Can Do to Fight Classism:

Claim your identity. Learn all you can about your history as a dominant group member.

Learn the history and experience of all working and impoverished people (particularly people living in your neighborhood or community).

Raise your children to be anti-classist rather than merely being non-classist in their own behavior. This means becoming active allies with subordinated group members to improve the quality of life for all.

Give yourself and your children exposure and experience of the language and culture of working peoples.

Listen with compassion when a member of the subordinated group relays experiences and feelings. Ask for clarification when needed and respond.

What Subordinate Groups Can Do to Fight Classism:

Examine their feelings about money in terms savings, earning, and credit.

Examine their feelings about the ways you relate to material gain and consumerism.

Examine their feelings about education, its role in developing identity, self-efficacy, and the capacity to partner across the various dimensions of difference.

Examine your feelings and ideas about culturally-installed privilege, power, and influence of various groups and the struggle for significance.

Claim their identity. Learn all they can about their history and the history and experience of all working and poor peoples. Raise their children to be anti-classist rather than merely being non-classist in their own behavior.

Work on issues that will benefit their communities. Consider remaining in or returning to their communities. (If you live and work in dominant group environments, look for working-class allies to help you survive with your humor and wits intact.) The recognition of classism by the dominant and subordinated groups is the first step for creating change. Working together, all people can help to make progress towards a class-free society.

“Income, Poverty and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2014.” United States Census Bureau. United States Department of Commerce, 16 September 2015. Web. 2 February 2016.

Raspberry Chocolate Chip Pancakes

Note: I love this recipe because it is unique–it contains both fruity pancake toppings AND chocolate at the top 🙂 Enjoy!

YIELD

Makes 10 pancakes

INGREDIENTS

1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter

3/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons milk

1 large egg

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup picked-over raspberries

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Accompaniment: pure maple syrup, heated

PREPARATION

In a small saucepan melt 2 tablespoons butter over moderately low heat, stirring. Stir in milk and heat until just warm. Remove pan from heat. In a bowl whisk together milk mixture and egg. Into another bowl sift together flour, baking powder, and salt and stir in egg mixture until just combined. Gently stir in raspberries and chocolate chips.

Preheat oven to 200° F.

Heat a griddle over moderate heat until hot enough to make a drop of water scatter over surface. Add 1 teaspoon butter and with a metal spatula spread over griddle. Working in batches, drop 1/4-cup measures of batter onto griddle to form pancakes about 4 inches in diameter and cook until bubbles appear on surface and undersides are golden brown, about 2 minutes. Flip pancakes with spatula and cook until undersides are golden brown and pancakes are cooked through. Transfer pancakes as cooked to an ovenproof platter and keep warm, uncovered, in oven. Make more pancakes with remaining butter and batter in same manner.

Tomato Soup is a classic American comfort food. I associate the dish with a mother’s love, because my mom would always make this meal (with a side of grilled cheese, of course) when I was home sick from school as a child, and the warmth from the soup and the softness of the grilled cheese would always make me feel better. Let’s discover the cultural background behind this classic family soup.

Tomato Soup in Pop Culture

Campbell’s Tomato Soup became the inspiration for world-renowned pop artist Andy Warhol’s Soup Cans painting displayed in the Museum of Modern Art (“Andy Warhol”). In the spring of 1962, Warhol had been working on renditions of comic strips when he needed inspiration for something else to paint. A friend of Warhol’s suggested he do something that prompted recognition immediately, like Campbell’s Soup. Warhol was instantly intrigued and purchased soup cans, which he “began to trace projections onto canvas, tightly painting within the outlines to resemble the appearance of the original offset lithograph labels” (“The Fascinating Story”). At that time, Irving Blum from The Ferus Gallery in Los Angeles paid Warhol a visit and expected to see a comic strips ensemble, and instead was pleasantly surprised by the soup cans masterpiece (“The Fascinating Story”). He offered Warhol a show that summer, and displayed each of Warhol’s 32 soup cans on his shelves after Warhol decided to expand his subject (“The Fascinating Story”).

The exhibition caused a stir in Los Angeles. While the edgy, youthful art and film community became fascinated by the uniqueness of the art pieces, the majority of onlookers received the artwork negatively or without much opinion at all (“The Fascinating Story”).

Image Credit: Katie Johnson

Soon, Blum realized that the artwork would be better sold in a packaged, single piece of art. With his Campbell’s Soup Cans installation at Ferus Gallery, Warhol came to the conclusion that he could present these works in a series, and grasped the importance of the visual effect of serial imagery (“The Fascinating Story”).

He continued making variations on his soup cans, stenciling multiple cans within a single canvas and so amplifying the effect of products stacked in a grocery store, an idea that he would later develop in the box sculptures (“The Fascinating Story”). He also realized that a high amount of repetition regarding a single image was wasteful and meaningless (“The Fascinating Story”). The most vital outcome of this series was the artist’s push towards printing to achieve the mechanical appearance that he sought in his paintings (“The Fascinating Story”).

Most recently, television personality Stephen Colbert created his own spin-off of Warhol’s popular condensed soup cans, calling them “Colbert’s Stephensed Manhattan Clam Chowder” for his talk show episode about the soup war between Campbell’s and Progresso (Custner).

If Warhol’s soup cans have caught your eye, limited-edition tomato soup cans inspired by the artist are available for purchase here, and Warhol-inspired soup can posters are also available here.

Tomato Soup History

The tomato was introduced to Europe in the 16th century, from South America and Mexico. Most likely the first variety to reach Europe was yellow in color, since in Spain and Italy they were known as pomi d’oro, meaning “love apples” (Fillippone).

Italy was the first country to embrace and cultivate the tomato outside South America. The French, on the other hand, referred to the tomato as pommes d’amour, or love apples, as they thought them to have stimulating aphrodisiacal properties (Fillipone).

Tomatoes were first brought to Florida in the 1600s, did not become a part of the American diet until the 19th century (“History”). Because tomatoes belong to the same plant family as the Deadly Nightshade, tomatoes were thought to be poisonous until the late 1800s (“History”).

While the first tomato soup recipe was credited to Maria Parola’s tomato chowder recipe from her 1872 Appledore Cookbook, other early tomato soup recipes consisted of tomatoes added to basic vegetable soups (Fillippone).

Dr. John D. Torrance was the first to come up with the idea of canned condensed soup, or taking out the water, for the famous Campbell Company. This made a 10 oz. can of condensed soup cost a dime whereas a 32 oz. can of traditional soup was 30 cents (Fabio).

The condensation idea saved costs in shipping, packaging, and storage, and, most importantly, made Campbell’s a household name in soups (Fabio).

Image Credit: iSpot TV

Indeed, Dr. Dorrance quite literally put the “Soup” in the company name–before condensed tomato soup, it had simply been “Campbell Company.” He is credited to making “Camnbell’s Soup” a national household name. Ever since, tomato soup has been enjoyed as a classic American comfort food (Fabio).

Fillippone, Peggy Trowbridge. “Tomato History-The History of Tomatoes as Food.” About Food. About.com, 16 December 2014. Web. 19 January 2016.

“History of Tomato Soup in America.” Food History. Blogger, 18 January 2012. Web. 19 January 2016.

Tomato Soup and Politics

Tomato Soup is a good source of the antioxidant lycopene, which helps to lower bad cholesterol as well as fight cancer. In the President’s most recent State of the Union address, he put Vice President Biden in charge of new efforts to expedite cancer prevention.

Currently, The American Cancer Society predicts there will be nearly 1.7 million new cancer cases this year, and more than 595,000 deaths. Additionally, five-year survival rates for most cancers are increasing. Today, it’s 89 percent for breast cancer and more than 90 percent for prostate and thyroid cancers. More than two-thirds of patients survive at least five years with colorectal, cervical, uterine and kidney cancers and lymphoma.

While there is no single cure for cancer since it is a broad term for hundreds of diseases, scientists now have a much better understanding of how cancer forms and ways to go about fighting it.

Looking Ahead of Chemo

While chemotherapy is the most popular and mainstream approach to cancer treatment, immunotherapy — tapping the body’s immune system to attack tumors, like the drug credited with helping treat former President Jimmy Carter’s advanced melanoma.

The first immunotherapies essentially strip away some of the ways that tumors hide, without as many side effects as chemo. They’ve worked well enough in melanoma and lung cancer that they’re now being explored for a wide variety of tumors.

An even newer form of immunotherapy is being developed to increase the amount of patients’ cancer-attacking cells.

Tumor genes and cancer differences

Genetic differences inside tumors help explain why one person’s cancer is more aggressive than another’s, and why certain drugs work for one patient but not the next, especially newer “targeted therapies” that are designed to home in on certain characteristics.

Increasingly, patients at leading cancer centers are getting their tumor genes mapped to help guide treatment. If hospitals pool that genetic information, researchers can more rapidly learn which drugs best match which patients, says Dr. Victor Velculescu of Johns Hopkins University and the American Association for Cancer Research.

What about research funding?

The federal government spends more than $5 billion a year on cancer research. Biden already is credited with having helped push through Congress a budget package last month that, among other things, increased the NIH’s cancer funding by $260 million this year.

More clinical trials needed

Most children and teens with cancer are enrolled in clinical trials that carefully guide their treatment, and that’s credited with markedly improving survival of pediatric cancer over the past 30 years.

In contrast, just 5 percent of adults with cancer enroll in clinical trials, a number that would have to increase to speed new approaches for cancer control.

What’s next?

Look for newer ways to detect cancer early using so-called liquid biopsies, blood tests that capture fragments of DNA that tumors shed into the bloodstream. Already doctors are studying these tests in cancer patients to see if treatments are working or need a change.

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onions and red pepper flakes, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are translucent, are beginning to brown, and are very tender, about 10 minutes.

Stir in the tomatoes and their juices, plus the water, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes. Add the basil, salt, and balsamic vinegar, remove from the heat, and let cool briefly, about 5 minutes.

Set a fine-mesh strainer over a large, heatproof bowl. Using a blender, puree the soup in batches until smooth. Pour the blended soup through the strainer, pressing on the solids with a rubber spatula or ladle; discard the solids. Taste the soup, and season to taste with additional salt and vinegar as needed.

Brush melted butter on one side of each slice of bread, making certain to cover the entire surface with butter. Turn the slices over, and pile Gruyère on two of the slices. Place the remaining two slices of bread on top of the Gruyère, buttered sides up.

Heat a cast-iron skillet over medium-low heat, barely coat the pan with a drizzle of neutral oil, and cook the grilled cheeses for about 2 minutes per side, or until the cheese has melted and the bread is crusty and deep golden brown. For the best results, press down on the grilled cheeses with a second cast-iron skillet to mimic a panini press while they cook.

Allow the grilled cheeses to rest for a minute or two, and then cut into square crouton-sized pieces. Reheat the soup as necessary, ladle into bowls, and garnish with a chiffonade of basil, grilled cheese croutons, and freshly cracked black pepper.

My favorite memories eating pizza are when I would go down to the Oregon Coast with my family every summer and eat a delicious cheese pizza from the famous Pizza a’ Fetta at Cannon Beach, Oregon, one of the nation’s Top 50 pizza joints. Pizza is one of America’s most celebrated meals not only because of the several special events that occur while eating pizza (from birthday parties, to The Super Bowl, to romantic date nights, to those unforgettable all-night college study sessions), but it is also beloved for the several different ways it is eaten across America (My personal favorite is thin crust). Let’s take a look at the evolution of pizza throughout the world over time.

Source: Royalty Free Image

Pizza and Pop Culture

Did you know that pizza is America’s most-used food emoji? Part of this might be due to the fact that not only is pizza one of America’s most popular (and most addictive) junk foods, but pizza delivery chains such as Domino’s make food delivery easier by allowing customers to customize their order, save it to their Domino’s profile, and order their favorite pizza by simply texting the pizza emoji to Domino’s restaurants. Food emoji text-to-delivery services have become a growing trend in the food industry. Part of the reason why text-to-delivery methods have been so effective, according to FireText Communications Holly Barber, is because text messaging is one of the most popular ways to communicate in modern society, customers want it, it is an untapped market, it is convenient, it is affordable and easy to use, and it is immediate and direct (“7 Reasons”). It will be very exciting to see how text-to-delivery methods unfold and how much food delivery will evolve in the future.

Pizza History

While pizza is famous as an Italian food, the first foundations of the dish were actually laid by the Greeks. In their early days, the Greeks topped baked, large, round flat breads with “oil, herbs, spices and dates” (“History”). Nobody knew about tomatoes at that time, though it is likely that the Greeks would have used them in a similar manner as Americans do today. Pizzas were originally enjoyed in the 18th century as plain flat breads without toppings, and were sold on the streets of Naples to the poor since they were inexpensive, delicious and satisfying. Because Queen Margharita and the Neapolitans took liking to the tomato, that tradition has continued into how we enjoy pizza today.

In 1889, Queen Magharita and her husband, Umberto I, toured her country in an effort to learn about the state of her kingdom as well as any new developments. Seeing several people in the streets nibbling on these large flat breads sparked her curiosity, and she ordered that these pizzas be brought to her. She loved the taste of these breads so much that she ordered Chef Raffaele Esposito to bake her a variety of delectable pizzas to choose from and bring them to the palace.

To honor the Queen, Chef Esposito prepared a very special pizza just for her, which included mozzarella cheese, fresh tomatoes, and basil (in representation of the Italian flag’s colors of red, white, and green).

Ever since Pizza Margharita became one of the Queen’s favorite foods, the popularity of pizza spread all across Italy, and soon all over the world. The people of bologna began to add meat to their pizzas, and Neopolitan pizza was quite popular as well, bringing “garlic and crumbly Neapolitan cheeses into the mixture as well as herbs, fresh vegetables, and other spices and flavorings” (“History”). At this time the idea of baking in special brick ovens began to surface and the bread, as it is today, was a straightforward combination of flour, oil, salt and yeast.

Pizza and Politics

Ever since an ingenious woman famously made the news for pretending to order pizza while actually contacting the police for help during a domestic violence incident, pizza has become a symbol to the anti-domestic violence movement. Because this woman came up with an unconventional way of seeking domestic violence assistance (involving pizza), the woman’s action has not only become subject of a viral Super Bowl anti-domestic violence ad, but the news media has also heavily advertised this new pizza-centered solution as a viable option to give domestic violence victims the care they need. This action is not only a creative way to receive help, it is also an extremely necessary one. Men and women need new ways to escape domestic violence situations for a variety of reasons, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. Some of these include:

• The victim loves the batterer… the batterer is not always violent.

• The victim fears the batterer.Often threats are made against the victim, for example, the batterer will kill the victim if the beatings are reported to anyone. Police, in the victim’s eyes, offer no long-term protection from the batterer.

• The victim may be economically dependent on the batterer and, not having a marketable job skill, the victim has no realistic alternative to the batterer’s financial support.

• Often the batterer is the victim’s only psychological support system, having systematically destroyed the victim’s other friendships. Other people also feel uncomfortable around violence and withdraw from it.

• Often the victims stays for the sake of the children “needing a father,” or the batterer may make threats of violence against the children if the victim tries to leave. The batterer frequently threatens to take the children away from the victim if the victim leaves, and the victim believes the batterer.

• The victim believes law enforcement and judicial authorities in some jurisdictions may not take domestic violence seriously, hence the victim believes the batterer is often not punished or removed from the victim. Yet any attempts by the victim to consult authorities are seen as a threat by the batterer and he/she may beat the victim for that.

• Sometimes the batterer is otherwise well respected or mild mannered, so the victim’s concerns are not taken seriously. Often the batterer is violent only with the victim and frequently concludes there is something wrong with the victim.

• The victim may rationalize the beatings, believing that the victim must have “deserved” the “punishment” or that the batterer was just “too drunk” to know what the batterer was doing (beliefs the batterer propagates).

• The battering takes place during a relatively short period of time. Afterwards the batterer may be quite gentle, apologetic, loving, and may promise never to beat the victim again.

If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic abuse, a variety of resources are available to get help. These include shelters, hotlines, and counseling services. For more information regarding domestic abuse services, visit the Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network (RAINN) website or contact the national sexual assault helpline at (800) 656-HOPE (4573).

Stir together yeast, 1 tablespoon flour, and 1/4 cup warm water in a large bowl and let stand until surface appears creamy, about 5 minutes. (If mixture doesn’t appear creamy, discard and start over with new yeast.)

Add 1 1/4 cups flour, remaining 1/2 cup water, salt, and oil and stir until smooth. Stir in enough flour (1/4 to 1/3 cup) for dough to begin to pull away from side of bowl. (Dough will be slightly wet.)

Knead on a floured surface, lightly reflouring when dough becomes too sticky, until smooth, soft, and elastic, about 8 minutes. Form into a ball, put in a bowl, and dust with flour. Cover with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel (not terry cloth) and let rise in a draft-free place at warm room temperature until doubled, about 1 1/4 hours.

2. Make tomato sauce while dough rises:

Pulse tomatoes with juice in a blender briefly to make a chunky purée.

Cook garlic in oil in a small heavy saucepan over medium-low heat until fragrant and pale golden, about 2 minutes. Add tomato purée, basil, sugar, and 1/8 teaspoon salt and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until thickened and reduced to about 3/4 cup, about 40 minutes. Season with salt and cool.

3. Heat pizza stone while dough rises:

At least 45 minutes before baking pizza, put stone on oven rack in lower third of electric oven (or on floor of gas oven) and preheat oven to 500°F.

4. Shape dough:

Do not punch down. Dust dough with flour, then transfer to a parchment-lined pizza peel or large baking sheet. Pat out dough evenly with your fingers and stretch into a 14-inch round, reflouring fingers if necessary.

5. Assemble pizza:

Spread sauce over dough, leaving a 1-inch border (there may be some sauce left over). Arrange cheese on top, leaving a 2- to 3-inch border.

Slide pizza on parchment onto pizza stone. Bake until dough is crisp and browned and cheese is golden and bubbling in spots, 13 to 16 minutes. Using peel or baking sheet, transfer pizza to a cutting board. Cool 5 minutes. Sprinkle with some basil leaves before slicing.

Cooks’ notes:

•Dough can be allowed to rise slowly in the refrigerator (instead of in a warm place) for 1 day. Bring to room temperature before shaping.

I have always been so intrigued by all of the different ways that people can cook meat across the world. My favorite ways to eat meat are a pot roast in the winter on a snowy night in DC, or Swedish meatballs with my family during the holidays at Lake Shoecraft, or of course, a burger in the summer at a backyard barbecue. Meat is often one of the most celebrated parts of any meal across the world, especially since it has historically brought families together after long days of hunting for food. Let’s discover why meat has continuously been one of the most highly anticipated parts of any meal.

Meat and Pop Culture

Source: Wikimedia Commons

Singer-songwriter Lady Gaga created a buzz as she performed at the 2010 MTV Video Awards in a dress made entirely of raw meat. The singer claimed the dress was a statement about how “she is not a piece of meat” and that people should fight for what they believe in (Marpes). The famous dress is on display at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (Keiran).

Meat and History

Source: Royalty-Free Image

In prehistoric times, the primary duty of human beings was to hunt in order to feed the family. Bovine and other wild animals were consumed in many different styles. In fact, “some of the oldest cave paintings, such as the one in Lascaux, France, depict aurochs, the ancestor of domestic cattle, being hunted” (Oster). Since 8,000 BC, man began to raise cattle for food production purposes. The cattle came in two forms, one type Bos taurus came from Europe, and the other Bos indices came from South East Asia and Africa.

The Spanish, Portuguese traders, and even Columbus himself brought cattle through Mexico to the Americas in the late 1400s. Following this, during the 1600s, the English and French continued to domesticate cattle throughout eastern North America as the colonies became better established and the Revolutionary War ensued.

Beef, on the other hand, did not become a major player in the American diet until the end of the Civil War. “Up until then cattle was used for milk, butter, hides and for drafting” (Oster). Wild game increased meat consumption significantly. Then, in the 19th century, cattle moved west.

The cattle were primarily raised in the west where traditional food crops were harder to cultivate. The cattle grazed on native grasses and were moved, in cattle drives, to feedlots where they were fattened up. They were transported by train to the mid-west where they were slaughtered and shipped via refrigerator cars to the east where the majority of the population was. (Oster)

Because the stockyards were the focal point for trains, the Chicago Bulls Baseball team was created and continues to maintain its strong presence today.

Industrialization has changed the way that “cattle are raised, slaughtered, and processed” (Oster). The process mirrors the systematic production line of a Ford Model T factory. Feedlots are now seen as a highly effective butchering and processing method. Due to heavy feedlot usage, antibiotics are now in higher demand because of their health and sanitation risks.

Over time, there has been increased demand for organic and grass-fed beef, or “beef that is raised in open pastures and not put through the feedlot/packing house system that has dominated the landscape of beef production in the US,” mainly because of growing public health concerns (Oster). Today, while we can find a variety of beef products on grocery store shelves, from roasts to steak to ground beef, the journey of beef through time has been one filled with adventure and internal passion.

Meat and Politics

Meat is a highly gendered food that is used to perpetuate stereotypes in modern society. The reason meat contributes to sexism, according to food and gender author Sherrie A. Innes, is because the connection between men and meat is not merely about food preferences—it is about power (Innes). Whether a man eats steak or a hamburger, meat consumption symbolizes power over animals and other humans (Innes). Meat carries with it a complex iconography; it is linked in our imagination with prehistoric times when a man (not a woman) had to hunt for his meal. In Western culture, meat has long been associated with wealth, power, and masculinity (Innes). American assumptions about these “natural” connections are so ingrained in our minds that we rarely question them (Innes).

Eating meat becomes a potent signifier of manliness, while eating tofu reinforces the stereotype that men lower their social status by eating foods like tofu, despite their health benefits (Innes). Similarly, Inness suggests points out the common assumption that women eat, cook, and serve “sissy foods,” such as salads, marshmallows, and Maraschino cherries, and are not as adventurous or capable as men in the kitchen (Innes). When women cook, it is not considered to be prestigious, simply because cooking has long been an expectation of women, whereas when a man cooks, he is considered naturally superior to his female counterparts, and displays his cooking as an art form. Media portrayal of muscular, strong men and thin, frail women as the idealized versions of their genders also contributes to these stereotypes about what men and women eat, how they cook, and what their gender expectations are.

Celebrity chef Ree Drummond, Food Network’s “The Pioneer Woman” has combated these stereotypes, since she has made a name for herself as a woman who knows how to cook meat that is not afraid to cook or consume hearty meals. In fact, one of her first tutorials about how to properly cook a steak would be the beginning of a blog launched that soon garnered millions of page views per month, that would be named one of Time Magazine’s “Best 25 Blogs in the World” (Andrani, McNichol). Drummond exemplifies, contrary to modern stereotypes, that both men and women are equally capable of cooking and eating whatever they desire, and that both men and women can cook dishes with great skill, creativity, and taste.

Mix all ingredients together in large bowl and shape into balls. Saute meatballs in olive oil at med-high heat. Brown meatballs on all sides. Place them on cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for ~15 minutes or until meatballs are cooked completely cooked.